


Exhausted Wings / Good Luck

by HOMOGRIMOIRE



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood, Canon-Typical Violence, Fix-It, I'll update tags as need be, I'm not even sure if tagging like this is legal, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Magic, Ozpin is mentioned, Resurrection, Robyn knows, Shifting perspectives, Slow Burn, Some Clover Backstory, Spoilers for V7 CH12, Teams RWBY and JNOR make appearances, Tyrian was the only one with a brain cell that fight, and Ironwood, as do Penny and Winter, forgive my horrendous tagging, it was unfortunate for us, minor bumblby, minor poly str, so does raven
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-26
Updated: 2020-03-28
Packaged: 2021-02-22 13:56:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22417267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HOMOGRIMOIRE/pseuds/HOMOGRIMOIRE
Summary: I wanted to explore how pacts (found in the Drakengard series) could work in the RWBYverse, since its just all magic. I also just want clover to live, but I also wanted to explore this. Besides, the literal binding of two souls has some nice romantic potential.  #CloverDeservedBetter
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi
Comments: 20
Kudos: 108





	1. Exhausted Wings / Unknown Tunes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tyrian's perspective as he kills Clover and flees, Raven's perspective as she finds him at his lowest, Qrow's as some magic happens, and Clover's upon revival. (My summary and tags are trash, I swear its better than this sounds)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So uhh, V7 Ch12 huh. So, I was making a playlist for being boo boo the fool to cope, and a certain song inspired me. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1gVwUDz0Ts&t=17s Growing Wings from Drakengard 1, and lyrics here https://drakengard.fandom.com/wiki/Growing_Wings if you want/need them. Like, looking at they lyrics, there a mood for today's Ch, and it got me thinking. Pacts exist in the game and bind the souls of the two entities involved through magic mumbo jumbo. If you wanna know more, read the notes at the end. I wanted to incorporate pacts into the RWBYverse so i could bring Clover back. And here I am, and you are too. I also used some recordings of some music boxes i have/had for the tune of the songs Raven sings https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wCJ4JCjFUHY8IoP1jEFIx4zcWaD-uDKZ/view?usp=sharing is the divided into two, the wedding song, and funeral song. First part of the tune for the first song, second half for the second song. Or just skip the text between the songs and read the text after. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wCJ4JCjFUHY8IoP1jEFIx4zcWaD-uDKZ/view?usp=sharing is for the last song she sings.  
> PATCH NOTES: 1/29/2020 Made some small grammatical fixes and wording changes. I also wanted to say that Growing Wings is sometimes referred to as Exhausted, hence the title.

In an instant, the cold and desolate white landscape was marred by the crimson stain of warm blood. The bloody weapon was yanked out of the body it pierced with a bit of resistance, just as Tyrian liked it. He only wished he could see the look on Clover’s face. A dying man’s eyes were his most favorite to look at, besides the eyes of his Queen, of course. If it was any consolation, he could see Qrow’s eyes. Shock, fear, regret, and the faintest hint of hatred. An absolutely delectable concoction of emotions that gave Tyrian an absolutely euphoric feel. 

“I’LL KILL YOU!” Qrow said as he lunged at the chaotic killer. As he dodged the pathetic punch, he could more clearly see the shift in Qrow’s emotions. Hatred was on full display now. Mixed in was also desperation and despair, another delectable sight to the scorpion. Tyrian had the feeling he would be sleeping well with some wonderful memories of Atlas in the coming nights. With an Atlas airship nearing, he decided to leave the black bird with a few choice words and a maniacal laugh. He knew he would have another chance to cause that bird some more pain. A moment later he heard a blood-curdling wail that made him smile from ear to ear. He had the feeling he would be sleeping very well. He considered it rather unfortunate that such emotions were difficult to produce in his conquests. With that, he continued his trek across the snow and ice to see what more chaos he could induce.

-

Raven… sensed something, and it concerned Qrow. _Odd_ , she thought. _He is a grown man and he abandoned the tribe. He can do whatever the hell he wants. If he ends up dying, then it’s his own fault for letting himself be so weak._ she reasoned with herself _._ Despite this logic, she still felt that she wanted to see what was happening to him. He obviously wasn’t dead, yet, at least, as she knew she could still open a portal to him. Whatever he was going through was intense and distressful. She could tell that much. The Maiden’s powers had a strange interaction with her semblance. Not only could she also open a portal to their location, she could get a sense of how they were feeling in the moment and the state of their aura, among other things. She was also able to tell that he was somewhere near Atlas. _Hmm… his aura is low, and in immense distress, I perhaps have something to gain. I could finish him off and show what happens when people abandon the tribe, their family. If I’m lucky, he’ll be near some dust shipments I can raid._ With her reasoning sound, and nothing better to do, she notified her subordinates that she had business to take care of. She returned to her the privacy of her tent and stepped through a crimson-black portal. 

She told herself this was a mission to help unify the tribe, a noble goal, but deep down, locked away in her subconscious, she was concerned. Qrow was her brother. They had grown up together and survived all that life had thrown at them thus far. _Why?_ She would think on quiet nights when pondering on Qrow and his decision to leave the tribe. _Why would he leave the tribe? Why would he leave me? Why? We had been through so much together. We grew strong together. We grew strong together until he decided to be weak_. Corrected another part of her mind. To her, that part of her mind was the one she should listen to. To her, it was logical and would ensure the survival of the tribe. To her, it had no weaknesses. 

-

In the midst of his tears, he heard the telltale sound of his sister’s portal crimson-black behind him. “Now is not the time Raven.” he said without turning his back to face her, voice straining. _Just my luck. Clover’s dead, Tyrian has escaped, and now Raven shows up._

“You really have let yourself become weak.” she said, voice almost as cold as the Ice Queen. Qrow could see the airship landing, though he didn't really care. No one needed him anymore. _Team RWBY is stronger than I’ll ever be. They’ll be better off without my bad luck anyways. Oz still had locked his mind locked away. James has taken a dive off the deep end and wants him captured so he could just be thrown into a jail cell. James… what happened to you, you monster._

“Can't you ever do something useful-”

“Halt!” cried the people in atlas uniforms who had their guns aimed at the avian siblings. But before they could do anything else, a slash of energy knocked them out, and a thrown sword knocked out the pilot through the windshield. As she walked over to retrieve the sword embedded in the military-grade windshield, Qrow realized something…

“Raven. Help me form a pact.” Their tribe had a story. It was the story of the origin of their tribe. A pact was first made by two people who became lovers. These two men, strangers at the time, were said to be near death as grimm surrounded them. However, they made a pact to live on, with each other, for they had no one else. With their strength renewed, and more powerful than ever, they killed the hoard of grimm. As they traveled, they allowed other strong souls, pact or not, to join them in their journey to survive. And the rest is history People could obtain power by binding themselves to another and forming a strong connection. That was its moral, hence the emphasis on family within the tribe. Those connections with each other are what made the tribe strong. However, the specifics on how to form a pact were lost to time. What remains can be found in their wedding ceremonies. 

That was, until they met Ozpin, and told them a more complete version of the story, including how to perform the ritual. It demanded the blood of the people who would form a pact, words with meaning to the pact partners, physical contact, and a great deal of magic. It could not only bring back someone on the brink of death, it could bring them back from death itself. However, it was also very dangerous, resulting in the death of the pact partners if done wrong. This was also typically formed by one who had magical abilities, and one who did not. The one who did not have magical abilities would often bear a mark on their body and lose something about them. Oz told them this in order to gain their trust. granted, he still withheld other information, like how their tribe does not actually descend from that original tribe.. They were also wiped out when the Brothers Grimm left long ago. He imagined that neither would be able to perform it since they couldn't do magic, and had no idea how it would interact with aura and semblances. But regardless, here was Raven, a maiden with the magic capable of forming a pact.

“And why should I? I have half a mind to just finish you off here and now, and I’m not even sure it will work.” she said as she pulled the sword out of the windshield. 

“I don’t care. I’ll return with you to the tribe, and follow your every order.” He could see that caught her attention. _It’s a win-win for both of us. Either I’ll end up dead and be one less thorn in her side, or Clover will be alive and I’ll be at her every beck and call._

“Alright then. Get what we need.” Qrow went to grab Kingfisher, and the bloody Harbinger. He could feel the tears coming as he passes Clover’s lifeless body, Harbinger in hand. He used Kingfisher to make a cut on his arm to gather some blood. He could hardly stand to look at his sister’s face as he gave her the weapons. 

“Any request for the words?”

“Good luck.” It wasn’t much to work with, but it’s all he really had. He moved to lie down next to Clover, and took his still warm hand into his. He could really feel the warm tears rolling down his face now. Raven didn’t say anything about it as she crossed the weapons at her chest so that dead and live man’s blood was touching. 

“ _Someday,_

_I knew_

_That I_

_Would find_

_You Whom_

_I Would love in the days of the new_ ”

Qrow let out a small chuckle, almost a sob, as tears streamed down his face. This was the beginning of a wedding song. _Heh. Damn you Raven. I always did want to get married._ His body began to feel odd, now that he noticed it, and the sky above him was turning to a reddish-purple too. _I’m not dead, so I guess that's a plus._

“ _May_

_I find you in the new life_

_Where_

_We_

_Can exist without the fear of my death.”_

Now he was really crying, trying to at least hold back his sobs. At least funeral songs are an appropriate thing to cry at. _A funeral song meant to be sung by the one who lost their love._ And since he was crying, that meant he was still alive, and the ritual was persisting. The sky was a deep read now, almost like his eyes. What he did not see was how a sliver of the horizon was now a brilliant green, much like Clover’s eyes. Raven could see, and had to admit it was an awe-filled display of her power. She could also see that the blood stained weapons were also glowing with magic, her brother and the dead guy too. 

_“Sing a song with me_

_We_

_We can find new life_

_One away from Strife_

_They can hold their own_

_Loan_

_Loan us your loved luck_

_With you our lives won't suck_

_And with this farewell,_

_I_

_Hope_

_That_

_You_

_May find_

_All your hopes and dreams,_

_Yes,_

_And for this I wish_

_You good luck.”_

How Raven came up with that song, he did not know, and neither did she. Perhaps it was the magic. They could feel the ritual finalizing. Raven could see something rather interesting. Their auras were beginning to mix. Red met green, and green met red. And Raven dropped the weapons. They were incredibly hot now. And the sky was an odd gradient of red and green. In a sudden blast and a flash of light, the pact process was complete. Qrow felt… revitalized. His body wasn't sore. He checked his scroll, and found both his and found both his and Clover’s aura at one-hundred percent. Just to be safe, he checked for a pulse on the still unconscious Clover, and found steady beat. He felt ecstatic, though only for a moment. He was honor bound to follow his sister now, for better or worse. Considering all he was leaving behind, he felt that it was for the better. 

“What now, big sister?” He wiped the smile off his face. _She doesn’t deserve to see it._

“Know any places to get some dust?” 

-

Clover feels himself begin to awake. His eyes are still adjusting. The sky looks… _red?_ It is cloudless now and he swears he can see two black dots flying to somewhere in the red sky. _It looks less red now._ He moves his hand to his stomach, and remembers. He jumps up. _Is this the afterlife?!_ He thinks, eyes wide and adjusted now. He looks around and finds that his uniform still has a gash in it and is colored crimson like the ground beneath him. There's also a nasty scar. He also finds some Atlas officers lying on the ground and an airship nearby. _This is not the afterlife. Weapon. I need a weapon!_ If he was still alive, that meant he could die again, and the downed officers were not a good sign. In the snow, he found the bloody Harbinger, but he could not find Kingfisher. He scanned the area and found no threat. He proceeded cautiously to the aircraft, on edge for any threats. He searched it and found nothing odd, aside from a damaged windshield. _Robyn._ He moved quickly to search he downed airship for her, but as he turned around, he was met with an arrow to the forehead.

“What happened here?!” she said as the man toppled back, dropping Harbinger. As he toppled back, he hit one of the seats, causing some of the items in the storage above him to fall onto him. 

“Tell me NOW, or I’ll make this one break your aura.”she threatened as she loaded an explosive arrow.

“I-I don’t know,” he said as he was shaking his head, “I thought I was dead! Qrow, Tyrian, and I were in a fight after we crashed, then Qrow broke my Aura, a-and then Tyrian killed me with Harbinger! I don't know what’s happening either!” _Please believe me, please believe me._

“That's a load of crap. You died, but know your alive? I don't need my semblance to know that's a lie.” Clover closed his eyes prepared himself for his aura to break, but heard a click and felt nothing. Another click, and another, and a few more in rapid succession. Nothing. He opened his eyes to find Robyn frustrated with her weapon. 

“Why aren't you working?!” she demanded. With a strong hit to its side, the arrow flew, narrowly missing Clover. He could feel it whizzing past his cheek and hear its sharp sound as it passed his ear. _Lucky me._

“Robyn please! Listen to me.” he extended his hand out to her. She took it, her grip like a vice. 

“What happened here?”

“It was just as I said earlier. Me, Qrow, and Tyrian were all fighting each other. Qrow broke by aura, Tyrian stabbed me with Harbinger, and I died. And for some reason, I’m alive now. I don't know where Qrow is, and Tyrian has escaped.” Their arms glowed in approval.

“How? How did you come back from the dead?” 

“I don't know. I-” _My hand… it has a ring? This… is one of Qrow’s rings, and on my ring finger no less._

“When’d you get married?” she asked. He noticed he was now holding his hand to his face, right in front of Robyn.

  
“I never was. This is one of Qrow’s rings.”

“I'm guessing he’s alive then, and that he has your weapon, and your four leafed clover pin, cause I don't see them around.”

“My weapon?” _My weapon? I'm a huntsman. Huntsmen have weapons, but I don't?_

“Yes, Kingfisher.” He gave her an inquisitive look. “Your fishing rod!” she shouted.

“It… doesn’t ring any bells.” _I had a fishing rod for a weapon? I do like fishing, but that sounds impractical._

“Ugh. Whatever. You probably hit your head. You'll remember soon enough. Now help me get these guys onto here.” 

“Affirmative.” As Clover loaded the last person, he tripped at the entrance of the ship, throwing the officer into the air and landing face first onto its cold metal floor. Luckily, Robin was able to catch the unconscious, airborne officer. 

“Since when do you trip? With your luck, you never trip.”

“That is odd. Ever since my semblance manifested, I've never tripped, to the best of my knowledge.” 

“We can look into it more later. We've wasted enough time as is. We have to go save Mantle.”

“Bu-” An explosive arrow was launched to meet him square in his face. She didn’t even turn around to aim. Despite this, his aura didn’t break. He flew back in pain, but was able to cushion the blow by landing on one of the seated officers. _Ow.. I would hate to be this unlucky guy when he wakes up._

“Say ‘Ironwood has ordered us to Atlas’ or whatever, I’LL KICK YOU OFF THIS SHIP AND LEAVE YOU STRANDED! And if you're stuck out there alone, THEN GOOD LUCK!”

_Good luck… good luck._ He was taken aback a bit. He remembers that those were his last words to qrow. He also remembers how Qrow cried for him. _And that scream…_

“Why are you crying? I know you're not that soft.” She had no sympathy for him. He didn't blame her. He looked out the window to see Mantle in Chaos. And Atlas safe in the sky. He wiped his tears and got up. 

“I'm with you. All of you.” He extended his hand to her. 

“Why the sudden change of heart?” 

“Qrow and his kids, they're right. And I want to do this for Qrow. He wanted me to do this. To think for myself, and do what is right. When I died, I could also remember him crying for me. No one’s ever cried for me. I can almost feel his pain. I don't want to make him feel anything like that when I find him again. I want him to be proud of me.” Their arms glow approvingly.

“Maybe you have gone soft, but I think its for the better.”

“Thanks.” He looked at the ring on his hand. _What did happen to you? To us?_

“But don't be dumb this time around. If you can choose between fighting the homicidal murderer or your boyfriend, choose the homicidal murderer please.” 

“B-boyfriend?” He feels the blush across his face, though is lucky Robyn is too busy getting the ship off the ground to notice. For all the flirting he does, he can't say he’s had one. _Boyfriend does sound nice. Especially when it’s Qrow. Hmph. Wouldn't it be funny if this ring meant that were married._ He could not help but admire the band. _Qrow’s favorite one_ , if he was remembering correctly. _Where are you?Wherever you are, know that I love you. Good luck._

“Enough daydreaming lover-boy.” she said with a smile on her face. She was happy to see her old friend on the side she was on. The side of the people. “We have a country to save.”

Clover looked out the window at the sky. In his reflection, he noticed that one of his eyes was red. Qrow’s red. Quietly, he said “Good luck to us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pacts shown to be able to heal the gravely injured and revive the dead once it has been formed. They also grant the partners enhanced power beyond their individual capabilities. Not too much is actually known about the process and there's more too it than that, so look up pacts in drakengard to learn more it it interest you. Its a pretty romantic concept if you think about it or make it so. TY for the read friendo. P.S. Fuck CRWBY [unless they, like, really make it up to us next ch. like clover living and them admitting their love and they make out as the sun rises and saying "FUCK IRONWOOD, FUCK TYRIAN, FUCK SALEM, FUCK OZ, LETS FUCK EACH OTHER" Im boo boo the fool and have hope :( ] p.s.s. i like this fic, and the little songs/poems, though i wouldn't read into them too too much. also, no beta, so any mistakes are mine. rip. p.s.s.s it is possible to see a bit of green in the sky at the horizon at sun set or rise. They're called green flashes if you want to learn more about them. if the sky above you is a deep red, be concerned about that. TY for reading all this rambling too. p.s.s.s.s is it gay be gay?, if so, then im a very homosexual guy, if not, then end me. And thanks again.


	2. Thunderous Despair / Grandma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Qrow and Raven take on a large group of Nevermore at a Dust Mine. Things get intense.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like you all inspired me to continue. Lucky you. The songs that inspired me this time were A Despair-Filled Farewell from Shadow of the Colossus, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYzYTmcnBEk , and Grandma from NieR, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm-X7KBBacM . I'd listen to A Despair-Filled Farewell for most of this chapter, but would switch to Grandma when you see "Grandma" in italics. This chapter mostly focuses on Qrow and Raven. I originally intended for this chapter to also have focus on the Clover's side of things, but I had too much fun writing the, so I'll definitely have the next one focus on his side of things. This chapter also has some action! I like how it turned out. I'll cut these notes short now and let you get to reading the good stuff!

Qrow always appreciated being able to turn into a crow and let any troubles from down below mostly melt away. His and Raven’s avian form dulled most of their ability to think like a human, leaving them only smarter than the average crow. It was enough to counteract the bird’s instincts. Qrow, strangely, did not feel the bird’s instincts kick in and override most of his human mind. _Just my luck. Again. No bird brain to distract me._ He resorted to looking at the sky and barren tundra. _Boring and dull, but it’ll do._ It had to be the most boring flight he had in a while. He liked to fondly reminisce on his most beautiful flight whenever resting in human form. Though, after a few more minutes staring at the mind-numbingly empty landscape, he noticed that Raven seemed a bit smaller. He also began to notice that he felt heavier, but still just as agile as before. _Must be the pact_. he reasoned. 

Just then, he felt a small drop in his aura. His wings faltered, more from the surprise than anything else. _Aura? Birds don’t have aura._ The mountains where a dust mine lay were quickly approaching, so he began his descent. _Why do I have an aura right now, and why- no. It’s fine. Just focus on the mission._ They landed in human form, gazing into its wide entrance. Atlas outposts were visible, but abandoned. Closer inspection revealed that they left in a rush. He knew that Raven picked up on this too.

“They left because Ironwood declared martial law and was gonna fly Atlas into the sky and leave everyone else behind. Bastards didn’t wanna be stuck down here.” _Pathetic soldiers only trying to save their own behinds just so they can serve their immaculate General Ironwood, only to end up dead…_ He was hoping Raven would have a reason to take him out soon. He’d gladly volunteer if she ever needed it done. 

“Let’s go and scout first. Locate any dust deposits, and dispose of any grimm.” the sister said, stoic as ever.

“I doubt there’s any grimm. If they were here, that means it was cleared of grimm.” 

“And how do _you_ know?”

“I killed them myself.” _With Clover._ An image of a smiling face with vibrant green eyes flashed in his mind, but before he could fall into any more sadness, he heard a shrieking sound overhead.

“Do me a favor Qrow, and shut up.” she said as she readied her weapon, sounding exasperated. _Damned luck._ They both dodged a Nevermore as it tried to crush them. With little effort, Raven jumped to slash the bird in its face, turning it to ashes. The death of a comrade only summoned even more Nevermore. Qrow knew he would not be as skilled as Clover when he decided to take Kingfisher over the sword he could only assume was his, and was also the weapon that killed Clover. He at least has some idea of how to use the rod after seeing Clover use it so many times. Besides, he was a well-trained huntsman. He knew he would figure out how to use it well soon enough. He tried to remember how Clover would use the weapon in the situation. He could see Clover moving the rod in a circle, increasing the length and force of the line so he could use it to grapple to higher ground. He could also see taut muscles move as they flung the hooked blade to sink into a ledge above. The pants that seemed to fit all too well did not hide the solid calves and thighs that he used to launch himself off the wall to slash and kill a grimm below him. As he threw the line and hook to catch another ledge, he could see the signature smile and wink that really made his heart throb. _Alright. Enough._ He moved to begin the movement, letting the line gain length and power. He felt that he was doing well, all things considered. It was a miracle the other Nevermores hadn’t started attacking him. But suddenly, a voice came to him. 

_What did happen to you? To us?_ He faltered, letting the line weaken, and leaving himself open to an attack. He was certainly skilled enough to dodge the Nevermore as it flew past him, but the weapon’s hook lodged itself onto one of feathers on its underside that was frozen solid by the Solitas cold. 

“Qrow! Quit doing nothing and help!” Raven yelled as she slaughtered Nevermore after Nevermore, jumping off projectile feathers and stabbed grimm just before they turned to ash to ascend higher and higher.

“Well there go my evening plans!” He couldn’t see it, but he knew she was rolling her eyes at the comment. 

Using the rod’s mechanisms, he swiftly reeled himself in so that he could propel himself forward to hold onto the black feathers that weren’t slippery with ice. The Nevermore began flying wildly as it felt Qrow latch on. With one hand grasping on, he used the other to launch the hook to wrap around the Nevermore’s neck, causing it to fly more frantically. His other hand let go and he used the momentum to swing himself to land on its neck. He had to admit, it was a very fun weapon to use. With the line wrapped around its neck, he wrangled with he grimm, managing to jump off as he sent it flying into a cliff face. As the grimm turned into nothingness, he retracted the line and at the right moment, shifted the mechanisms to propel the hook to its next target with greater force. Lodged in the shoulder of another Nevermore, he retracted the line to propel himself towards it at high speed, unhooking the line so that he could land square on its back. After stabbing the hook into it, he loosened the line and ran across its back. As the grimm began to ascend in attempts to knock him off, he jumped off and locked the line and yanked the rod down, causing the hook to tear through its icy back and kill the giant. 

Qrow couldn’t help but smile. _Now I’m getting the hang of it!_ He swung the line to latch it onto another Nevermore, swinging underneath it and releasing the hook as he was just above it to to a spin while retracting the line, causing hook to slash right through its neck. _When I meet Clover again, I am so not giving this back. IF you meet him again_ , he reminded himself. _He’s already been through enough because of me being around him._ He moved his arms to toss the line to its next victim. _Wherever you are, know that I love you. Good luck._

“What?” he whispered, almost afraid to hear that voice again. He could see the face of the man he loved, the man he would protect from his love. It held a rare somber look. He was distracted again, and moved the rod too late. Instead of piercing a neck, it ricocheted off a stone mask, leaving Qrow free falling with nothing in reach of Kingfisher. He hated to to this, but he had no choice. He transformed into a crow. 

One would think that the Nevermore would feel some kind of kinship with the similar-looking black bird, but Qrow’s experience had taught him otherwise. It seemed like to a Nevermore, the black birds were an affront to their existence, a mockery even. They acted like the small black bird spit in their face and desecrated a statue of their goddess. In all fairness, Qrow would do those things if he could, but that didn't really explain the violent reaction they had to the much smaller black birds. Outmaneuvering a Nevermore in a place with obstacles was easy, and meant he could escape one in bird form. Outspeeding one in the open was not a possibility. Fortunately, the Nevermore were uncoordinated, driven by a frenzied rage and crashing into one another, allowing Qrow to weave amidst the frenzy, but not allowing enough space to transform and use Kingfisher. He could feel himself gaining speed, moving faster than he ever had before. He was soon able to out speed them, a feat he wasn’t sure how he was able to accomplish. Unfortunately, moving at such high speed left him unable to react to the Nevermore that flew in front of him. He tucked his wings in and braced for impact. 

Instead of breaking half his bones and losing conscious, he felt himself pierce the grimm. He turned to see the hole in the grimm just before it vanished into thin air. 

-

Raven climbed the mountain higher and higher, killing any grimm that dared challenge her, only using her magic to jump higher. The higher she got, the less and less grimm she faced. She expected this, but did not expect to be facing none until all were slaughtered. She stopped at a cliff-side when she realized none were following her, stabbing a sword into it to hold onto as she rested a foot on a small ledge. She had sensed Qrow shifting earlier, but thought nothing of it. She felt that there wasn’t much reason to think about it anyways. But now, she could sense him frequently shifting in and out of bird form. 

“What is this dumbass doing now?” _Ugh. Why couldn't I have been an only child._ She turned to see something very interesting play out not too far below her. The rest of the Nevermore, were swarming Qrow, drawn in by the insulting avian form he took. At the moment, he was taking on at least ten. It would be a lot more very soon. In the near distance was another hoard of Nevermore. She could see him dodging their attacks, piercing them at high speeds, transforming back into a human when he could get a good slash of the strange weapon to connect and use the momentum to kill the Nevermore with its blade and pierce and kill another Nevermore. _Why aren't you tired yet?_ The transformation took a bit of energy, though for her, it was hardly any with the maiden’s power. She tilted her head in wonder. _How are you able to pierce them? And how hasn’t the bird’s instincts kicked in? … The pact! If it made him this strong, then I have much more to gain._

“QROW!” The sound echoed down below.

“BUSY!” he replied when he got the chance. 

“JUST FLY UPWARD AND HAVE THEM CHASE YOU!” Apparently, he heard, as she saw him begin to rise at incredible speed, a column of grimm in pursuit. She waited until there was enough distance between him and the avain grimm, and that all the grimm were present. With the distance great enough, and the grimm present, she withdrew her sword out of the rock-side and jumped, slashing her sword beneath her to open a portal to Qrow. He was smart enough and skilled enough to get out of her way as she appeared before him and began to summoned a bolt of lightning. With a shout, glowing red eyes, and the sound of thunder rumbling, she sent the bolt straight through the grimm just before reaching the flying mass, taking the rest of Nevermore out in one fell swoop. She landed in a crouch on the ground below to soften her landing. She arose as black ash fell from the now cloudy sky. Qrow was at her side as he transformed back to a human.

“Fancy moves back there but what happened to your _beloved_ Harbinger?” She turned to face him, noticing that his right eye was now a green color. “And when did your right eye turn green?”

He immediately perked up at the last question. “Green? What kind of green?” 

“I don't know. Teal or sea green. What does it matter?”

“Hm. I’m sure its nothing.” She could tell it was far from nothing, but she found no reason to be concerned. _Why is he so intent on hiding it? That green charm alone spells it out as plain as day. It stands out so much its like he’s not even trying to hide it. Dumbass._ The missing ring was more subtle, but also as clear as day to anyone who had known Qrow long enough. They began their walk to the mine entrance in silence. Just as they were about to enter, they noticed that the ashe was no longer falling, but rising.They turned around to find it coalescing into a giant sphere, the ash swirling chaotically around. As it began to take form, they noticed what appeared to be long wings and a long tail. They readied their weapons, waiting to see how to react. _Hmm. can’t retreat into the mines. It will just trap us there._

“What the hell is that?” he said. She noticed that his voice seemed less… rough, and that his flask was missing. 

“It’s grandma.” she deadpanned, sill focusing on the mass and readying her weapon. The swirling stopped, and the beast unfurled itself. Eyes littered its body, some of them distorted, and as red markings also covered its body.. The texture on its back seemed off somehow. _Ice. It’s covered in ice._ It had three large eyes one on one side, and two on the other. It had three legs and a sharp, long beak that rode up its face to make its grimm mask. It opened its mouth to reveal sharp teeth, and a deafening screech blew that away the clouds summoned by Raven to reveal the sun behind it. The sun allowed the red markings in its body to refract through the ice, making it almost appear entirely red. 

Raven launched herself upward and transformed. From her view, the beast was easily nine times the size of an average Nevermore. She also saw Qrow try to launch himself from a fence with the fishing rod and land face first into the snow when said fence broke from the force. He managed when he hooked onto a heavy dust transport machine and flew to meet her. The beast had yet to liftoff, so they flew in opposite directions to scout for any weaknesses. Its back was covered in ice at least ten feet thick. On its back, she could almost make out a symbol, though the refraction made it hard to make out, but with no other relatively noticeable features, she decided that the center of the unknown mark was the best place to attack. 

“Qrow, keep it busy and throw in any attacks you can. I’ll go for the seal on its back” The colossus begun to rise now, almost ready to fly. Raven landed on its back, embedding in it a fire dust sword that quickly cooled. It let out a screech, though not nearly as loud as before. It began to pick up speed as it chased Qrow. _So even this thing hates our bird forms._ She began chipping away at the ice that protected the seal with another fire dust sword. As it turns out, the ice was more like 15 feet. She was about to switch to use magic when she found that the colossus was going for a loop, no longer following Qrow. _This one’s smart. It’s trying to protect its mark. It must be a weak point!_ With a last bit of effort, she slammed a fist of flames into the ice, almost exposing the mark. She let go of the colossal grimm and flew just high enough above it, and transformed, summoning clouds for another lightning attack. With glowing eyes and a smile, she hit it dead center, revealing the seal. _Salem’s emblem._ Now this had to die. She landed on its back jabbing a sword in the ice and readying another sword to finish it off, but an eye opened from its center where the emblem was exposed. A shriek louder than the first tore through the sky and dispelled the clouds to summon the sun. The light seemed to refract through the ice more brilliantly now, despite the crater exposing the seal. Raven found herself losing her grip, and crashed on the ground below, costing her a good chunk of aura. Qrow was thrown out of his avian form by the shrill sound and landed on the ground below, losing some aura. Eyes glowing, she leaped to its back and pulled out a sword to finish it.

_Raven?_ Said an old woman’s voice.

“Grandma?” She held the sword above the red and black eye, but could not bring herself to slam it down.

_Oh Raven. Look at how much you've grown from the cowardly little girl you once were._

“Yes grandma. I have. I wanted to make you proud. I wanted to make my family proud.

_Dear, you misunderstand. You've grown from a cowardly girl into an even more cowardly woman! You abandoned your own Daughter! Your family! You run from the problems you've encountered! And your brother? Where to begin? He leaves you AND the tribe, and he’s still alive? How pathetic of you. As his family, it is your duty to see that he is punished. Cowardly AND shameful. You DARE call yourself a Branwen?_

“I’m doing what’s best! I’m keeping us safe! Its-”

_Silence! You pathetic, weak, coward. I thought I raised you better than this. If even I, the most renowned Branwen cannot make you strong, no one can. Pfft “I’m gonna be just like you grandma!” Such a failure. I always despised you. And to top it all off, you couldn’t even be there for your *dear* friend Summer._

She lost her grip on the sword and tears began to form as she fell. As she hit the ground, her aura broke, and let out a wail as she broke down.

_And you._ Said the voice, shifting from the elderly woman’s voice to a man’s. _Always such a nuisance. At least they expected such from you. Bringing misfortune to everyone around you, to everyone you love. Everyone you love had left you, and they’re much better off without you. Its a miracle anyone ever loved you. I thought I did, and look where it got me. Dead in the snow because you decided to side with the homicidal maniac. Stupid and filled to the brim with bad luck so bad, not even the person with the opposite semblance could withstand it. The only smart thing you've ever done is isolate yourself. Though I suppose you were also right to be so cynical and put yourself down so much. It was the truth after all. The world is a terrible place, and you are hardly worth anything. And now that I think about it, I don’t think I ever really did love you. I pity you. In fact, I-_

The words were cut short as a black streak cut through they eye in the center. He walked over to where she lay weeping, hands in his pockets and slouching. He did not know what to do. He was never particularly good at comforting people, especially someone like Raven. Soon, her crying ceased and he rose to meet Qrow’s eyes. He had been crying too. And there, they sensed it again. She turned to find eight small spheres, identical to the first.

“DIIIIIE!”she screamed as she ran towards them, fire dust sword in hand and eyes glowing red in furious wrath. 

“DIE!DIE!DIE!DIE!DIE!DIE!DIE!DIE!”she slashed repeatedly and wildly at the eight miniature swirling orbs of pain. Even as they had turned to dust, she continued to slash, and she slashed into the air and snow until she fell to her knees and began to cry again. As he approached her again, she screamed and wailed. She had now words to convey her feelings. She continued slamming her fist into the snow. He knew there was a chance she would slash at him with a sword, a very good chance, but he still decided to go through with it. He knelt down, and hugged her. To his surprise, she leaned into it, and together, they cried. They remained on the ground like this for a few minutes. Eventually, she broke away and broke the silence.

“Why?” she sniffled as she wiped her tears, “Why didn’t you succumb to it?” 

“I’ve told myself worse. And I know that I can be a better person. It was my choice to change my self. I didn’t do it alone though. At first, it was hard. I was only around the kids then, so I couldn't push any more problems onto them. All I had done then was stop drinking. Then I met someone who wanted to help me because I was me. I wasn't Qrow the drunk, uncle Qrow, or Qrow the harbinger of bad luck to him. I was just Qrow. With them, it was easier. Still hard, but easier. I learned a lot from him. He saw things in me even I couldn’t see. I started smiling more, laughing more, and made the girls more proud of me than ever. I started to accept myself a bit more. I realized that I was wrong about myself. There are people who do love me for who I am, and I’m not undeserving of that But none of that wouldn’t have mattered or been possible if I didn’t want to change though. You have to want to change. We can do it alone, but if we’re lucky, we’ll have people to help us.”

_I love you too, Clover._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I like my first chapter more, but I still found this one nice. Writing Qrow using Kingfisher was definitely a highlight for me. I based the colossal Nevermore off of Three legged crow from Chinese Mythology, Japanese Mythology to a lesser extent, Avion the bird Colossus from Shadow of the Colossus, and Hook, a boss from NieR. In Chinese mythology, the sun Crow was sometimes referred to as the Yangwu and often depicted as red. There were ten, but all but one were shot down to save the world from burning. The page on the three legged crow mythos is here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-legged_crow . Avion just reminds me of the Nevermores, which is why i recommened the theme that plays during its battle, and influenced the colossal Nevermore's appearance a little (https://teamico.fandom.com/wiki/Avion?file=SHADOW_OF_THE_COLOSSUS_20180711124309.jpg). Hook inspired the ability that put the voice of a loved one in their head that would put them down("Grandma" played late in its fight). (I would recommend to watch or play those games, but they aren't particularly happy so I would advise to wait until you think youre ready) (trust me, theyre interesting with top tier soundtracks though) Also, I implore you to join the #CloverDeserevedBetter hashtag on twitter if you haven't already. Let Your voice be heard! And together, we shall all create a song no one can ignore! Theatrics aside, speaking how you feel tends to feel good. (you can find what I wrote here: https://twitter.com/BARA_GRIMOIRE/status/1222305740586545152 (don't look @ the likes tho lol)) (God feel so many things and dont have enough ways to articulate it.) This fic will definately have at least three chapters total, but four is likely, so be on the look out. I have some fun ideas for the next chapter! I'm glad im writing this fic to explore their dynamic and cope with you readers. I appreciate it, so thanks. p.s. qrow and clover having a green and red eye means they got christmas colors. p.s.s. raven would definitely call qrow a hooker now. any good sibling would given the opportunity I wanna write them being more sibling-like, but i dont want it to feel ooc. rip. p.s.s.s colossal nevermore @ qrow "YOUS WAS STUPID IN THAT FIGHT" and its right. I like to stick to canon characterization, but i cannot find anyway to call qrow and clover logical or in character in that scene. I Will Therefore Call This Out Constantly But Bring It Up As Little As Possible Because Its Bad Writing And I Like To Stick Close To Canon. p.s.s.s.s. I replenished my clown make up to put on for when i get played again! the tears make it all go very quickly. stockpile your clown make up people. it saves money and time. p.s.s.s.s.s. if you read to the end of these notes, congrats! I commend you! It will help you on the exam later. its worth 60% of your grade. good luck. (And thanks for the read! I really do appreciate it! Feel free to ask any questions if you like!) (oh god i looked at the preview and these notes are dummy thicc. i pray for yall on mobile. bless your gay, i presume, hearts. if youre not gay, may your heart still be blessed. I'll also pray for yalls poor thumbs. rip)


	3. High Mind in the Sky / Two of Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clover and Robyn arrive in Atlas. Clover and Qrow finally kiss after like, what? About 13 k words? Gotta love slow burn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, this is a long chapter. Firstly, Songs! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8MTeqf--_M is High Minded Castle By Susumu Hirasawa. While the tone of the song doesn't really match the tone of the chapter to me, i still found myself listening to it frequently while writing this, mostly for the lyrics though, which you can find an english translation of here: https://hirasawafan.fandom.com/wiki/High-Minded_Castle . I just think it relates heavily to Ironwood (who I originally had planned to include more of) . The other song I found myself listening to was this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfBdGT4dn4E , Two of Hearts by Stacy Q. Most of us here are gay, right? We like 80's pop music, right? The lyrics just really got me thinking about Fair Game. The last is a lite recommendation. It is Niko form Sword of the Berserk: Guts' Rage. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHpF40h7bMA I say light because I only listened to it for my Neo vs. Clover fight (yes, you read that right, though I feel i could have done better with it). I listened to it because the instruments reminded me of a *certain* scream, that I reference in their fight, so if that messed you up bad, I wouldn't recommend. The song is also probably and acquired taste, soo :l. But, if you're willing and able, give it a try. I'll let you get to reading now. This a long boy with lots o' head canons.

With such disaster on the horizon, Clover would have hardly given any thought to his appearance, but with little else to do on the way back to Atlas he found himself judging his current attire as he looked for spare clothing that was his size in the ship’s supplies. A large gash could be found on the front and back of his uniform. The frozen blood, which also covered his pants, covered his back and made the uniform stiff and uncomfortable. In between the fabric, he could make out the mean scar that went down the middle of his chest. He imagined there was a slightly meaner one on his back, considering Harbinger’s shape. He didn't like how he got the scars, but if he were being honest with himself, he didn’t mind them.  _ Scars are hot. Guys dig scars.  _ Though Qrow was the only guy he wanted, and he imagined Qrow wouldn’t dig those two in particular. He would like to say that it was Tyrian’s fault, but he has to admit that he and Qrow had a lapse of judgement that fight.  _ How could I be so blind? _

He managed to find a pair of pants his size, the only one that was his size, but the shirts were either a size too big or a size too small.  _ Strange. You think they would have restocked.  _ They restocked the ships with supplies every other day, and yesterday was one of those days.  _ It was just yesterday we were eating and joking together about Jacques’ arrest. _ He wondered how so much could change in so little time. He changed his pants and opted for a smaller shirt. He did a few stretches, and found it too restricting upon his movement. He quickly changed into the larger size. He hummed approvingly. Sure, the looseness meant the shirt would be easy for an opponent to grab, but he decided he would take his chances. He also tore off the sleeves and tied his red bandana back onto his arm. He never much liked sleeves. They were about halfway to Atlas now. 

“What’s the plan boss?” Clover made sure to check that the officers were still knocked out. He would rather they didn’t hear this. 

“Simple. You’ll say that we’re going to report the mission details to Ironwood, and hopefully, we’ll find team RWBY and her friends along the way. If they’re captured, we’ll have to take on Ironwood ourselves.” He hummed in agreement. He looked at the hole in the windshield that was patched with duct tape. He was lucky to have found some on the ship. It was rarely carried in the supplies because it was deemed unnecessary years ago.

“You know, this isn’t how I imagined you planning a coup. I always thought it would be in a safe house with your Happy Huntresses.” he joked.

“Oh no, we already did that. It was a back up plan in case Ironwood ever went too far. If we weren’t already doing this, I probably would've been flying up to Atlas right now with them. Unfortunately, they aren't here, so I’ll have to do it without them. They’ll forgive me if I bring them a video of me kicking Ironwood in the dick though.” He wasn’t sure she was joking, but knowing her, she probably wasn’t.  _ Would I have been able to fight you then? … Definitely, unless Qrow was in my life, but even then… _

“Hey, Robyn?”

“Yeah?”

“Sorry. For acting like a dick. And not doing what was right.” She found herself a just a bit shocked. She knew he was a good person at heart, so the apology wasn’t too surprising.

“Apology accepted. Today, you’ll make amends, so thanks.”

“Don't thank me. If there’s anyone you should thank, its Qrow. He opened my eyes.”

“I guess I will have to thank your boyfriend when I see him.” He could feel a blush begin to arise at the mention of “boyfriend.”

“You're not gonna let that go, huh?”

“Not until you become Mr. Branwen. Then I’ll call him your husband.” He nearly tripped at the word “husband.” He could feel the red in his face now. An image of him and Qrow kissing in front of a beautiful background flashes his mind. Flower petals and clovers are falling as a crowd cheers. He touches his lips, wondering what it would feel like. She turned from the pilot seat just in time to catch the embarrassing moment.

“Oh wow, ha! You've got it worse than I thought.” She wasn't wrong, and he couldn’t fire anything back at her since she and Fiona were academy sweethearts. Just as he was about to speak, the comms came live. They were granted clearance to land. 

“Well, here we go.” he said as he let out a long sigh. They immediately began speed walking out of the ship. An officer matched their pace, ready to take his orders.

“See to it that the men in there are taken care of. Miss Hill and I must speak to General Ironwood.”

“Yes Sir! But, um, General Ironwood has requested that he have no visitors at the moment.”  _ Damn it. _

_ “ _ I’ll report to him later then. Do you have any information on the wanted criminals? _ ” _

“They were last reported in the academy, Sir!”

“Thank you. That will be all. You're excused.” With that, the officer left and Clover and Robyn began sprinting towards the academy. “Listen, there's a hidden vault under the academy holding the staff of creation, you can access through an elevator near Ironwood’s office. We have to get to him before he gets there. Only the bio-metrics of the specific people can open it, but you can bypass it with a code to enter your bio-metrics. I’ll send it to you right now in case we get split from each other.”

“Got it.” Just then, another explosion could be heard underground. While Robyn merely faltered, Clover tripped. “What was that?”  _ That wasn't near the vault. That was near the maiden!  _

“We have to spit up. I have to make sure that the maiden is safe. You take care of Ironwood. I’ll explain later.” 

“Alright.” She said, trusting her friend. With that, he sprinted to the maiden’s location.

-

“Neopolitan.” The name seethed out in anger.

“You know her?” 

“We haven't exactly heard good things.”

The four of them stood there, facing their silent foe, awaiting her move.  _ This is taking too long! _ It was obvious the mute girl wouldn’t make the first move this time. With a battle cry, Nora led their charge against their enemy. She moved in for a hard swing, but found it blocked by a surprisingly strong umbrella. She felt it across her face as she was pushed to the side. She quickly got up and rushed towards Neo who was now dodging attacks from Juane and Ren as she got a hit in where she could. 

“Hey! Get back here!” Knowing that the hammer’s hits would deal a great blow, she moved backward to dodge them. A downward slam missed. A strike upward missed, but Juane’s sword and Ren’s blades connected, leaving her off balanced. It was nothing she couldn't recover from, but a strong poke from behind was just enough to interrupt her and send her forward to meet the face of the heavy hammer. She flew upward and hit the ceiling flat on her back, but with the hammer raised in the air, she was able to land on it with her hands and launch herself towards the Oscar.  _ Oh come on! _

Using the momentum and her skill, she was able to launch herself to land behind Oscar and swiftly take the lamp, swiping at his feet to knock him off balance after. She quickly ran in the other direction, her goal achieved.  _ Damn it! _

“After her!” screamed Jaune. Just after she rounded a corner, they saw her flying in the opposite direction. To their surprise, Clover rounded the bend, lamp in hand.  _ Just what we needed. _

“Are you four alright?” he asked, sounding genuinely concerned. That wasn’t what she expected. However, he wasn’t wearing his Ace Ops uniform, and had Qrow’s weapon, covered in dried blood. Immediately, they turned their weapons to him. 

“What’s it to you?” Jaune said, wary of the man who could very likely be on his way to turn them in.

“Wait, please! I'm on your side!” He held out his arms with the lamp and weapon in his hands. “I know this doesn’t look good, but you can trust me. I-” he cut himself off as he threw the lamp towards them and raised the sword to block a kick from Neo. They ran to the fight, Oscar grabbing the lamp as they ran. 

“Go! Find the Winter Maiden! She should be below us! Here!” He tossed them his scroll in between slashing at Neo and dodging a jab. “Use it on the elevator over there! Hurry!” With little reason to doubt him, they ran towards it. Nora, scroll in hand, turned to see Clover blocking Neo from pursuing them.  _ Looks like Qrow did choose a good guy.  _

“Aaaaand, going down.” she said when the scanner accepted Clover’s ID. Just as the doors shut, she could make out a ring on his hand.

-

_ This girl’s a lot tougher than she looks!  _ She was graceful, skillful, and powerful. Normally, she wouldn’t be this difficult a foe, but he was still getting used to the weapon. All Atlasian students were trained on how to use common weapon types, but he was rusty. He was also nowhere as graceful as Qrow with the weapon. It was a good thing she liked to fight in close quarters. It meant he could fight dirty. Its what had set him apart from the other students. He made use of every opportunity, applying his luck wherever he could and not allowing his opponents to take advantage of it. 

After a series of back and forth attacks, he managed to get a key block with the sword as she swung her umbrella down. He quickly seized her weapon and kicked her away. He rushed her down, using the umbrella to jab and the sword to slash. At first, she managed to stay in sync with his blows, dodging and dancing around. However, a horizontal slash with the sword proved to be the wrong move. She jumped to land on it, disrupting his momentum, and with a back flip, delivered a sharp kick to his chin, followed by a front flip to hit the top of his head. However, he slipped and fell backwards, subsequently pulling the sword from out under her. It caught her a bit off guard, but it was nothing she couldn’t handle. She made sure to get her umbrella before back flipping to recover. She did a second one to make some distance, but had the misfortune to land on a heel, causing her to fall onto her back. 

She heard footsteps advancing towards her, and opened her weapon in anticipation of an attack. She anticipated correctly, for the weapon’s covering blocked a downward slash from a scythe, followed by another. She could see that he was going for a swing upward as he spun to gain power. She closed her umbrella and latched a leg onto scythe's long handle, letting the swing pull her upward. She moved to land on his head, but just as she jumped off, she felt her ankle being grabbed. She was slammed to the floor with a thud. She only barely managed to roll out of the way of the scythe’s blade as it embedded itself into the floor beside her. The time it took to yank the scythe out was just enough for her to put some distance between them with a few flips but had landed wrong on her hand and ended up falling once more. She was leaning against the end of the hall now. She was about to raise her umbrella, but found that it wasn’t in her hands. 

Clover had picked it up from the ground where she accidentally dropped it when he slammed her down. As she was falling back, he raised her weapon like a harpoon, took aim, and threw it with all his might, hoping to break her aura or at least do some big damage. It narrowly missed her head and instead pierced her hat and embedded itself into the wall. She removed the weapon from the wall and placed the hat back atop her head. He couldn't see her face as she rose up to her full height, even if it wasn’t much. Slowly, what appeared to be shards of pink glass covered her body. They receded to reveal Qrow.  _ Qrow?  _ The imitation let out a chill-inducing scream, and could now see that it was crying. At that moment, he felt himself lose some aura. 

“Qrow, I'm sorry, I-” He could feel tears forming, though he did not notice, nor did he notice Harbinger as it clattered to the floor. He held an arm out to reach The Qrow as it was running at him full speed now, tears in the imitation’s eyes more visible than before. It punched him with a force so hard she shattered her own illusion. He flew down the hallway and skidded across the floor to end at an intersection. She was now running at him, anger clearly visible in her eyes Quickly, he got up and grabbed a capture device that was at his side and tossed it at her, but she shattered as it hit her.  _ Where are you?  _ He decided that getting Harbinger was advisable. He got up, and began to run towards it, but tripped as Neo hooked the crook of her weapon to one of his ankles. Harbinger was nearly within reach. As he tried to extend his arm out to grab it, his hand was stopped by a sharp jab that summoned a small grunt out of him. He looked up to see Qrow staring down at him. The face quickly turned to anger as it moved to stab his hand again, but the illusion shattered on impact.  _ Illusions. They’re only illusions. Qrow isn’t here. That’s not him.  _ Despite the reaffirmations, he couldn't shake the look on the illusion’s face off. He grabbed the scythe and picked himself up. As he got up, he could see Qrow down the hall once more.

“Qrow… ” He was running towards him now. As he ran, sword in hand, Clover extended an arm out and limped to him, scythe held in his other hand. His expression was pained, as if he had so much to say, but could never convey it properly. Just as the sword was about to connect, he moved swiftly out of its way and tossed another capture device.  _ You won’t fool me thrice!  _ It connected this time. He then dashed forward and brought down a heavy slash that shattered the illusion and slammed Neo into the ground, unconscious and aura low. Before he left to find the kids and the maiden, “I’m sorry, and I know they are too.”

Going down the elevator, he could still only see the pained look on Qrow’s face and the wretched cry that shook his body down to his soul.  _ Did I really cause you that much pain? _ He brought Harbinger up to look at it. The sword was cleaner now that the dried blood had fallen off during the fight. Despite it causing his demise earlier, he felt no ill will towards the weapon. It was a piece of Qrow. He could never hate anything that was a part of Qrow. And without his pretty face to look at, the ring and weapon would have to suffice. 

_ I love you too, Clover. _

Shocked, he looked around in the small elevator to see if he could see the source of the voice. He briefly wondered if it could be another trick caused by the illusionist earlier, or some other foe, but knew she was incapacitated. Though he couldn't entirely rule out another foe, he had the gut feeling that it wasn’t a foe. The words felt too genuine, and sounded too much like him. 

“I love you… ” he repeated. He wanted to hear the words and say them to Qrow in person. He knew he would. His thoughts were interrupted by a loud crash that shook the elevator, causing a light to go out and the elevator to stop. “Lucky me.” he sighed. He pried open the doors to find that the elevator had stopped perfectly at a floor.  _ Lucky indeed. _

-

Meanwhile, Robyn had made her way upward. Why the guards didn’t question her motive of “ _ I’m here to help track down the fugitives. _ ” was baffling to her. As the elevator finally opened to one of the higher floors near Ironwood’s office, she was met with the other Ace Ops bound in the middle of the room, unconscious. Team RWBY and her friends were nowhere to be found. By the time she found the elevator, entered her bio-metrics, and waited a  _ looong  _ time for the elevator to stop and reach the Relic’s sanctum, she found that team RWBY was already engaged in combat. She had seen videos of him in his heyday, but was still surprised to find that he was still standing his ground against the prodigious team.  _ Looks like diplomacy failed.  _ With Yang and Ruby fighting him up close, Blake attacking at mid-range and using the length of her weapon to support Yang, and Weiss supporting from behind with her Glyphs, Robyn decided to stick back and snipe.

She perched her self on a nearby pillar, and carefully studied their movements, locating the patterns and calculating the geometry. While she was waiting for the opportunity to strike, she could not help but be amazed at their teamwork. She imagined that they would have taken him down soon even if she didn’t show up.  _ One, Two, Three!  _ One shot ricocheted off Crescent Rose to hit the side of his head, another off the floor to hit him under his chin, and the last barely grazing his shoulder. Off balance, Ruby flew behind him to bounce off a glyph and knock him off his feet while Yang delivered a Burning punch that sent him crashing to the ground, aura shattering on impact.

“Its over General.” she could hear Ruby said as she jogged over. Desperate, he quickly raised his gun to fire a shot that did not find its mark. Robyn raised her weapon and shot the gun out of his hand, sending it to the abyss below. Exhausted, he fell unconscious. Before anything else could be done, a crash came from above, sending a figure slamming into the floor.

“THAT'S FOR MY GRANDMA!” came a shout. From the hole the projectile created, emerged Nora, eyes outlined by a glowing pink flame and lightning cackling all around her. Team RWBY and Robyn could see that the projectile was Cinder, eyes also aflame. Almost as if instinct, Ruby began to activate her Silver Eyes. Cinder, with barely any time to react, only barely managed to escape with minor injuries by flying through the walls to reach the cold outside, leaving a gaping hole. 

“That won't be the last we see of her.” said Yang, shifting to a more relaxed pose as Nora floated down to them. 

“Come on guys, let's go use that staff for something good.” She said as she led the way to the vault. 

“What exactly are we gonna do with the staff?” questioned Robyn, curious to its purpose.

“Well, we’ll first have it lower Atlas, and then we’ll have it do something that will protect Atlas and Mantle.”

Robyn shrugged her shoulders.  _ Whatever. It’s not like magic makes any sense. It’ll work out. _ They were half way there before they were interrupted by a callous voice.

“Not so fast little girl! I have a score to settle with you! Oh! And you too, Miss Hill!” said the man with a maniacal laugh. “How wonderful! I get to kill two nuisances at once! I really must thank our Goddess for this… festivity!” With a hyena’s laugh, he began to rush towards them.

“Nora! Go! We’ll handle him.” said Ruby, her voice as steady as ever. Yang and Blake used their weapons to maneuver so that they would be behind him as Ruby and Weiss faced him from the front. Tyrian ran towards them, firing his weapon at them and dodging shots from Robyn. The bullets were easily blocked. Very soon, the distance was closed and Yang and Blake moved in for the first hit, only to see the man shatter before their eyes as their weapons connected. Quickly, they all got in formation to cover each other’s backs. There weren't any enemies in sight. That was because they weren’t looking up. From above, Tyrian descended with a wild laugh. The girls were quick to react, and dodged the attack. Neo floated down, and gently landed with her back facing his. Her opponents, Blake and Yang, stared her down, as Ruby, Weiss, and Robyn stared down Tyrian. 

-

“I like you, girl. I’m glad I didn't kill you earlier.” Neo rolled her eyes at the statement, as if she doubted he could have killed her, despite her aura being only half full now. With the conversation over, they rushed to attack their targets. 

Neo found her fight to be an amusing challenge. It felt refreshing. The two worked so well together, as if by design. They dodged, slashed, and punched so well in sync. Their movements allowed them to use each other to gain more speed and power, while also allowing them to dodge attacks they normally wouldn’t be able to. This all just meant they would fall together. Neo could tell that Yang had certainly improved from their last fight. Her punches were quicker than before, and were sharper and heavier. Her partner was also certainly quick, much quicker. However, she sacrificed strength for range. The cat faunus’ semblance had caught her a few times, but Neo quickly worked them to her advantage. An icy afterimage that caught her umbrella was used to dodge an attack and counter to kick Yang back. A fiery image that exploded allowed her to put more power into a strike that hit Blake hard. She noticed that Yang hadn’t brought out her semblance yet, which she found slightly concerning.

Meanwhile, Tyrian was having a field day. He couldn’t kill the silver eyed girl yet, but he figured he could have some fun first. Robyn, however, he could kill if he wanted, so he focused on blocking Ruby and Weiss’ attacks and doing minor damage to them. His fighting style was too chaotic. He mad use of every limb, using each one as a pivot at some point. With his tail slashing and guns shooting as he spun and weaved passed their attacks, the two would soon be overwhelmed. He could see the frustration growing on their faces. Oh, how we wished he could take a picture to immortalize moments like these.

Black and yellow were moving much faster now. A bit more difficult for Neo now. Yang was beginning to use her partner’s weapon as a means to increase her speed and damage, and Blake was using her semblance sparingly now. However, there was still no sign of Yang’s semblance, which was beginning to concern Neo now. She figured that Yang was gonna save it for something big, so decided to focus Blake. Sure, Yang had gotten stronger, but not enough. With Blake out of the picture, Yang would be easy pickings. It proved to be a mistake. The cat faunus was no slouch in close quarters either. She was much more graceful than her partner, which allowed her to dodge more hits and set up hits for her partner. Her semblance was also proving to be more of a nuisance now that Blake had more chances to use it. Choosing to focus Blake meant they were fighting in much closer quarters now, leaving less time for Neo to react to the afterimages, and more time for the duo to follow up.

Red, white, and Robyn still proved to be easy foes to Tyrian, until their semblances got involved. Weiss multitude of glyphs proved to be an annoyance, allowing Robyn and Ruby to get in a few good strikes. And just when he was about to get a beautiful hit on Ruby, she burst into a flurry of petals that blinded him. He felt himself being lifted into the air. He could see Weiss focusing on a glyph. He shot at her, but his guns didn’t have good range, and the damage drop off was too much, so any bullets that would have hit their target were easily blocked by Robyn. He had lost sight of Ruby, but soon had an idea of where she was when he felt a powerful shot from above hit his head, followed by a few arrows to his body. Gravity took over once the glyph was released, but just as he was released, he was struck by another powerful bullet to the center of his chest sent him crashing into the ground. 

However, their fights were interrupted as another object came crashing back into the area, creating a cloud of dust. From it, one figure emerged, a maiden clad in red and black with glowing eyes.

“Mom!?” exclaimed Yang, surprised at her appearance. Her mother only turned to glance at her, wanting to focus more on the fight at hand. Cinder shot up, but was promptly slammed back down by the line caught around her ankle. The line loosened and slithered back to its wielder. Qrow found himself blocking an attack from Tyrian who had made his way over in the chaos, happy to move to a more agreeable target. All things considered, the weapon wasn’t very good for blocking, especially from a quick brawler like Tyrian. Fortunately, he was just barely managing. And thankfully, Robyn had fired a few shots to give Qrow a chance to put some distance between him and the killer so he could use Kingfisher more efficiently. Unfortunately, the distance wasn't enough, and Qrow braced himself for another attack. However, the attack didn’t connect. Another weapon blocked it and sent Tyrian flying back. Unluckily for Tyrian, Clover, along with Oscar, Ren Jaune, and Penny, had joined the fray in the chaos. 

“You should be more careful, I don’t want to lose my favorite charm.” For a moment, Qrow found himself a bit dumbfounded. He hadn’t imagined he’d find Clover so quickly. He quickly regained his composure though. A battle wasn’t the time to gawk. 

“Me, or the pin?” Qrow said as he moved to stand next to Clover. A quick glance told him that everyone else was busy fighting too. Team RWBY was taking on Neo, while the other kids and Raven took on Cinder. Nora had moved on from trying to open the vault. She couldn't figure out how to at the moment, and figured she’d be more useful fighting. She’d have a lot more time to figure it out if there were no enemies to bother her. That left Qrow, Clover, and Robyn to take on Tyrian once more. 

“You, of course.” he said with a wink. He noticed that one of Qrow’s eyes was that teal green.

“Lucky me.” said Qrow with a small smile. He noticed that Clover’s right eye was red.

“Lucky us.”

“You should be dead.” Poison seeped from the murderer’s words as he gave a mean scowl. His demeanor shifted from frustrated anger to that of his usual crazed self. “I guess I’ll just have to kill you again!” He rushed at the duo, moving erratically to make it hard for Robyn to aim. With the distance closed in a mere moment, the real fight began.

-

Qrow and Clover were undoubtedly huntsmen of incredibly high caliber, but their unfamiliarity with the weapon in their hands was beginning to show. Killing grimm was one thing, but fighting dangerous people was another. It was a far cry from their first fight with the chaotic murderer where Tyrian was taken down with relative ease. This fight was certainly much more difficult, but they were managing. Clover had shifted Harbinger back to its sword forme, finding it more beginner friendly. While his scythe attacks were slow but hard hitting, his sword attacks traded that power for speed. He knew he would need to be quick if he were fighting Tyrian. Qrow had also begun to use Kingfisher more like a whip. He couldn’t exactly let it wildly fly around wildly like during his fight with the grimm. Despite their inexperience with the weapons, the fight was still in their favor. Their teamwork and Robyn’s incredible support, though one could say they were supporting Robyn, was enough to tip the scales. 

The fight seemed to be more in their favor now. Qrow and Clover were moving so well in sync that one could think they were communicating telepathically. That was, until the fight was interrupted by a loud roar. Cinder’s aura was starting to get low, and in a last ditch effort, sent a shock wave of fire that knocked everyone back. Oscar and Jaune were fortunate to be knocked back into a crystal, and Jaune had caught Ren from falling off the platform. Team RWBY was knocked off, but had their own methods to get back onto the platform, while Neo had shattered away. Raven, Penny, and Nora were safe, already in the air.

Qrow, Clover, Tryrian, Robyn, and Ironwood had gotten the short end of the stick. Robyn was close enough to grab onto the still unconscious Ironwood as they fell off. She did manage to embed one of her weapon’s wings into the side of the platform, reducing their fall speed, and eventually came to a stop. While letting him go would be easier for herself, she couldn’t just let him die. Not like that anyways. He deserved a fair trial and a guillotine or firing squad after, or exile or imprisonment, if they were being generous. 

Meanwhile, Clover and Qrow were closest to the edge and had fallen down first and were flung far from the platform’s edge. Tyrian had managed to embed his weapons into the side after being flung off. As fast as he could, Qrow took hold of Clover holding him close. It surprised Clover a bit at how quickly Qrow pulled him in so close. His head was near Qrow’s chest, and could hear his heartbeat. He could almost swear it was in sync with his. Qrow had flung the hook to try to get it to latch to the edge, but Tyrian had other ideas. As the Kingfisher’s hook flew to its target, he released one of his weapons, took fire, and aimed at the hook, firing his last bullet. Tryian had definitely used the last of his luck there, for the bullet hit head on, knocking the hook off course. 

“Looks like I just killed two birds with one stone! So long love birds!” Tyrian saluted them and cackled maniacally as he began his ascent back to the top of the structure, content knowing that the ledge was outside of the rod’s range. 

“Hey, Clover?”

“Yeah?”

“Sorry about earlier, for siding with Tyrian, and leaving you.”

“Well, I should be sorry too. I should have stood with you in the first place.”

“We should have stayed together. … This probably isn't the time, but I should also tell you that IKindaHadMySisterBindOurSoulsToBringYouBackToLife.” Clover stared at him with a bewildered look, but then burst out into a laugh. Qrow gave a small, concerned laugh, thinking the worst as usual.

“Don't worry, I believe you.” Clover’s eyes then opened wide with realization. “Quick. How do you turn into a bird!” Qrow knew what he was thinking.

“Just think it! Imagine It!” He said with a big smile before turning into his namesake. He had a feeling that what Clover was thinking would be right.

The first bird that came to mind was a Kingfisher. They’re in his earliest memories, and some of his earliest friends. He remembers practicing fishing by the river when he was young and seeing the birds fly high and dive at incredible speed into the water. He would try to mimic their dive with his fishing hook. Being young and impressionable, he was amazed when he got the line to arch perfectly to get the hook to dive in the water like the birds. As thanks, he would leave some fish out for them. After some time, some of the birds would even hop up to him and walk onto his hand. He would always give them a piece of a fish he had caught. He soon found himself performing a new trick practically every week. Those moves would become the basis for… something. There was a blank where what should have been his original weapon. He wasn’t sure why that blank was there. 

One day, when he was about fourteen, he was cooking some fish he had caught earlier by the river with some vegetables his parents bought him. Grimm weren’t a concern because hunters routinely patrolled the area, and any dangerous animals weren’t a concern either because the smell of smoke and fire was a good deterrent. He had a sword given to him by his grandmother just in case though. It was a half scale replica of her own weapon from when she was a huntress, although it wasn’t also shotgun and didn't split to be able to form a dual sided glaive like hers. Despite being half scale, the replica was still large, about as tall as his fourteen year old self and half the width of his body. It was made of light materials, so it was easy enough to carry.

As he was grilling the food, he heard a small rustle in the thick, nearby brush. He rushed to the sword and prepared himself. Out from the thickets came a small blue and orange bird, a kingfisher. It was hopping around, one wing obviously injured. It was also rather thin looking. Clover figured the food was very enticing to the starving bird. Slowly, as to not scare it, he took a fish he was cooking and cut off a small piece. He crouched and slowly made his way closer to it. He gave a low whistle to get its attention. He showed it the piece, left it on the floor, and backed away. Once he backed away, the slightly bird cautiously made its way over to the slice of fish. The bird was moving slowly, but Clover patiently watched it wanting to see what it would do. He watched it in awe as it soon devoured the small slice. Once it finished, it looked at him and chirped. He stared back at it, bewildered at first. He then chirped back at it, to which the bird replied with another chirp.

“Do you want more?” he asked. The bird answered with a chirp again. He cut another sliver of fish for it and held it in the palm of his hand. Still mindful of its injury, he crouched and moved a little closer to it as it carefully hopped towards him. When it reached his hand, it pecked at the food and moved it to the floor. Clover just stared at it in awe as it ate. Once it finished, it chirped at him again. He slowly extended his palm to the floor in front of it. To his surprise, it hopped on. He got up and began to walk back to his area. He moved his other hand to give it a light scratch. He gave a small laugh as the bird leaned into it. He set the bird down onto the soft blanket he had spread out earlier. He then got a bottle of water and filled its cap. He set the water filled cap in front of the bird and watched it drink. He continued watching the bird as it drifted to sleep. He was mesmerized by the rise and fall of its chest as it breathed. He could have stared at it for hours, taking in every minute detail of the bird. He would have if he didn't begin to smell burnt food. He moved to take the food off the grill and put it in a trash bag.

It as about noon then, so he still had plenty of time to fish. He gently scooped up the sleeping bird and placed it on his head. His granny was always joking his hair looked like a birds nest. He carefully walked over to his chair by the small river and sat down. He moved the bird from his head to his lap. Sitting down, he cast the line and waited. This gave him time to admire the bird, and get a closer look at its injury. He assumed it was broken, based on the odd angle it took. About an hour later of gazing at the resting bird and the scenery, he heard footsteps behind him.

“Clover? What are you still doing out here?” his dad asked, “You're usually back by now.” Clover replied with a quiet shush. “Why?” he whispered. Clover motioned for him to come closer. He saw his dad’s eyes grow wide upon seeing the bird that was sleeping soundly in his son’s lap. 

“Can we take it to the vet later? I think it has a broken wing.” Clover whispered.

“We can go right now if you want. I saw one on the way here. It was about an hour away.”

“That sounds good, the sooner we help it, the better.”

“Alright. Go and tell your papa to get ready. I’ll clean up here. Tell him if he’s not ready by the time I’m back that I’ll send my sisters after him!” his dad whispered loudly. Clover gave a little laugh.

“Alright, I will.” With that, he began the short walk back to the cabin. He always found the story concerning his aunts and parent funny. His dad was a retired middle class merchant and his papa was a retired huntsman skilled in archery. They met when his papa showed up at his dad’s store to buy supplies as he was passing through. He found himself enamored by the clerk at the front desk. His dad decided then and there that he needed to rest and stayed at the city a litter longer. He made sure to visit the store during his stay and chat it up with the tantalizing clerk. Soon, he left, but not before stealing a kiss and giving a promise to return. And return he did. He found himself staying in that city for longer and longer periods, getting closer and closer with the other man. Eventually, he took up residence with the man and took jobs in the city. 

One day, he figured he wanted to take the relationship to the next step, and went to his older sisters to ask for permission. Being the protective older sisters they were, they would hive him their little brother’s hand if he bested them in a battle. A local tournament was coming up that had two versus two format, and the two sisters planned on entering. The younger sister’s husband wanted to join as well, so the sisters figured they could solve two problems at once. The man, partnered with the younger sister’s husband, had made it to the finals to face off the two women who had also made it to the finals. The older sister wielded a weaponized yo-yo that paired well with her semblance that could increase the weight of things. The younger sister used a pair of daggers. They worked well with her ability to interface with objects and control their movements as if she were using telekinesis on them. The husband dual wielded beautiful swords that were mostly ornamental. Through dance, he could channel his aura through the earth, allowing him some control over it. The other huntsman was armed with his bow that could split into swords. His semblance was a more subtle one. It could be described as an extreme attention to detail. His senses could detect the smallest shifts in any detail. 

It was a spectacular fight, one that was held as the paragon of a tournament fight for many years. Despite the husband’s graceful movements and the huntsman’s exceptional aim, they lost. The women remained standing with a fourth of their aura. The huntsman could really feel the defeat. The cash prize was hardly any concern. Not only did he not have the sister’s approval, he lost in front of his lover and missed the perfect opportunity to propose. As the sisters helped him up, the motioned him to look at the huge screen above. On it, he could see his lover proposing to him. The huntsman ran into the crowd to give the merchant a passionate kiss. The crowd began cheering and hollering and whistling for them. The noise was interrupted by the announcement of a bonus round, much to the excitement of the crowd as they shifted their attention back to the stage. Apparently, the sisters had begun to fight to see who would be the best woman. The huntsman guessed that the battle was just their form of the shovel talk.

Older and retired, the men gave lots of their time and attention to their son while still giving him the space he wanted. Their summer get away cabin inherited from a great-grandfather was a good place to do so. On the way to the veterinarian, they asked him questions about how Clover came to befriend the bird. He happily explained the whole ride there. His parents were very happy to listen. They found it adorable when the bird woke up and Clover began to talk to it in little peeps and chirps. They even joined in on the conversation a few times. The vet determined that the wing was indeed broken, but put on a small type of cast so that it could heal properly. They told the family that it would be healed in about four weeks, and they should make sure that the bird gets plenty of food, water, and rest during that time. Clover spent the whole time caring for the bird, hardly ever taking his eyes off it. Soon, four weeks had past. Early in the morning, the family went outside, Clover holding the bird gently in his hands, the miniature cast taken off prior to show a wing that created no pain as it was moved around as instructed by the veterinarian. With a slight hop, Clover opened his hands and the kingfisher flew. This is what Clover imagined as he took flight: shimmering orange and blue feathers that passed through the morning rays of light, surrounded by love and joy. 

Being a bird was much better than he imagined. He felt so light and free in the new forme, though he could wait to be in awe later. There were more pressing matters to attend to. He thought that flying would be hard for him, but he found it surprisingly easy after a moment since most of the bird’s innate knowledge and instincts were available to him. Qrow flew towards the wall while Clover in his new kingfisher forme flew upward. Once Qrow meet the wall and was directly below Tyrian, he flew upward until he was between Tyrian and the wall. At which point, he transformed back into a human. With his back against the wall and knees against his chest, he kicked Tyrian off the wall with all his might. 

From above, Clover began a dive downward. He struck one of Tyrian’s legs while Qrow stuck one of his arms. Both began a flurry of strikes that whittled down at his already low aura. Then, Qrow flew higher, tossing the line to wrap around Tyrian, and flung him upward, sending him above the platform. Just before he began to fall, Clover, who had flown ahead, transformed back into a human, Harbinger in hand, and brought down the scythe with a heavy blow that broke his aura and sent him flying straight into Cinder just as she was about to unleash an attack, breaking her aura upon impact, since everyone was ganging up on her after Neo fled and they fell of the side. They into a nearby crystal, leaving a crater in it and breaking some of it off. They both fell to the floor, unconscious. 

They all bust into celebration, cheering at their victory, a sign of the tides turning in their war. Raven stood back and kept her eyes on the battle’s losers. At a glance, she could see people hugging each other and jumping up and down, as well as the new Winter Maiden and a guy with a pink stripe in his hair helping the General and a woman get back onto the platform. The woman looked like she wanted to kick someone in the dick. Raven also saw that Clover had made the first move and kissed Qrow. It surprised Qrow at first, but he soon leaned into it. They were getting pretty handsy. Through Kindred Link, she could feel the love Qrow had for him. Not only that, she could also feel the love Clover felt for her brother. She considered it odd at first, but quickly realized it was probably just a result of the pact. It felt of pure adoration and respect. It was a desire both longed for after so much time in solitude and self-doubt. Ultimately, it was love, something she had repressed for some time. 

She felt that feeling being amplified by another source within the room. She looked around to see her daughter kissing and embracing the cat faunus in black. She sensed these feelings in Yang before, but to see it in person was a real wake up call. She could see and feel what she had been missing out on after all those years. She decided then and there that slowly, but surely, she would change. Someday, she would sit and talk with Tai. Someday, she would visit Summer’s grave. Someday, she would be there for the weddings of her daughter and brother, and they wouldn't mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End Of Chapter! I hope you made it through alright. I like some parts more than others, but I like this chapter overall. And I definitely didn't intend for it to be this long, but, here we are. It would be longer if I hadn't decided to cut it off and make the rest the start of the next chapter. The currently intend for the last chapter to be an epilogue that covers what happened right after this and post Salem, but depending on how things develop I might spit that up into two and then we'll end up with five chapters. Also! Apparently, there will be a Fair Game Week March 16 - 22 on tumblr. I would like to do some writing for this fair Fair Game fair, so keep your calendars marked for the sweet, sweet content. I'm @bara-grimoire on there. Its mostly me just thirst reblogging from all sorts of fandoms and stuff, though I intend to post the works on there too, of course. That'll be all for now folks! No half-mile notes this time! Thank you for reading and leaving kudos and all that good stuff! I appreciate it. (p.s. my only real regret for this chapter is not getting to show Robyn kicking Ironwood's dick, assuming he has one. p.s.s. Ruby totally no scope headshot Tyrian like a real MLG pro.)


	4. Closing Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An epilogue of sorts. Snippets from their stay in Atlas post-attack. And a closing, set in a happy future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, sorry this took like a month to finish, rip. I got a writer's block during this, so decided to work on Fair Game week to help clear it up, and it did, so, Hooray! As for songs,,, I listened to way to many for this chapter in attempts to get inspired, so I'll just recommend Chapter 13 Closing (aka The Chaotic Song) from Drakengard 1. Fun fact: It can be synced with Exhausted (aka Growing Wings). You can find that monstrosity here: https://htromak.tumblr.com/post/157978171000/while-i-was-trying-to-get-ending-e-for-drakengard . If you love listening to music that makes you feel like it's beating you up without mercy, give the rest of the drakengard 1 ost a try. Also try the website-piano version of Growing Wings if you want to get beat up by music some more. If that's not your style, I don't blame you, try the Drakengard 2 version of Growing Wings. It's a lot more tame. A lot. (Though Drak2's ost is also good) Well, enough talk about music, I hope you enjoy this!

The next few days were hectic, to say the least. After the high of a great victory, They all went back to dealing with Atlas and Mantle and the spoils of their victory. The council, which now rightfully included Robyn, decided that one person having so much power and responsibility was inadvisable. As a result, Robyn was offered the title of General, since she was the most qualified in the council besides Ironwood, and humbly agreed. This meant that Ironwood's sole responsibility was being the headmaster of the Academy. He had felt ashamed for his actions and accepted the punishment. He had broadcasted an apology where he also resigned from his duty as general and introduced Robyn as the newest council member and General. He even shaved for the broadcast.

Meanwhile, Tyrian was interrogated, but no new information would come out of him, save for a slip up that confirmed that Salem’s threat had been a plot to induce fear. He was then sentenced to execution after his trial. He resisted death with all his might and went on rambling on how his “goddess” would save him soon and smite them, all until his very last breath. Ironwood almost regretted killing Watts. Almost. He might have been able to get some information out of him, but he no doubt would have been a pain in Ironwood’s ass like he always was. And then there was Cinder. As much as they would have liked to question her, having her awake just introduced too many risks, so she was kept in an induced coma until the machine to transfer the maiden’s power was repaired and a new maiden could be decided upon. They all agreed that it shouldn’t be anyone from RWBY since Nora was traveling with them and having two maidens in the same place would be a poor decision if things ever went south. They were having trouble thinking of who would be the next fall maiden, until Ruby mentioned Penny. She was a good fighter, and a good friend. She said she would be honored to be a maiden, if it was alright with RNJ. They told her that they would be happy for her to be the new Fall Maiden, and Pyrrah would be happy for her too. Nora pulled them all in for a teary hug. It was just like Beacon, for they would have a new Fall Maiden. Only Neo was left unaccounted for, but she could only do so much to all them when she was alone. 

With a new general in charge, the Ace Ops was disbanded since Robyn already had her Happy Huntresses. They decided to rejoin the army’s ranks, with the exception of their leader. He liked to joke that he was eloping with a prince to some faraway land. He was right, in a sense. He was joining Qrow and the kids on their way to Vacuo. With no official job, he found himself spending most of his time with Qrow, which honestly wasn’t too different from before. If anything, he was spending more time with Qrow, which Clover certainly wasn’t gonna complain about. All this time together did allow them to talk about their feelings, about what happened that fateful day, and their future together.

-

The first thing they talked about was about what exactly happened. Clover needed answers, and Qrow would have to be the one to give them. This elephant in the room would be discussed a few days after their victory, when the dust had settled, and the air had cleared. Clover had felt that the air between them was… odd, to say the least. They still had their share of jokes about luck and their lingering stares at each other, but the way Qrow looked at him was different from how he looked at him before. He saw a new sadness, a new pain, in that face, and he knew the source of it. He could have asked Qrow before if he wanted to talk about it, but he declined, to Clover’s dismay. _Does he not trust me anymore?_ Clover couldn’t say that he wouldn’t understand why, considering who he chose that day. _He still wants to be around me though. I can tell that much. maybe he just doesn’t trust me as much as before. Guess I’ll have to earn it back._ So, he gave Qrow his space, despite how much he would have liked to get Qrow to open up to him. 

Another day went by. He formally met Raven that day. He found her a bit terrifying at first. She was like one of those birds who just stared at you as if they were judging you. But, as she and Qrow explained the pact ritual to him, she didn’t seem so bad. It was a far cry from what Qrow told him before. She was rough around the edges, sure, but it seemed like she was trying to smooth herself out. _Good for her._ However, he noticed that Qrow avoided looking at him during the time, undoubtedly riddled with guilt. After explaining everything Ozpin told them, she began to discuss the differences between what they were told, and what happened. He could especially feel the air thicken when she asked if he had healed completely, or had any scars or the like, because he should have been healed completely. He told her that he did, where he was stabbed by Tyrian. He could see Qrow tense up in the corner of his eye. _Dammit, don't blame yourself so much! You're not the only one who was at fault._ Raven noticed it as well, but continued on as if she didn’t. Once she finished, she asked if she could speak to Clover in private. Qrow immediately got defensive, questioning her why. Clover could see the defensiveness in his posture and hear it in the slight change in his voice. _See? He still does care about you._ She just gave him a look, which he understood. He just scoffed as he left. Meanwhile, Clover looked on, confused over what just transpired. With Qrow gone, she spoke to him.

“If someone told me a week ago that I’d here in Atlas be doing all this,” she said as she motioned around her, “I’d tell them to shut up and to quit wasting my time. And yet, here I am.” She sighed as she sat down. “What do you see in him? He’s moody, cynical, and needy, but won't admit that. All he’s ever done was bring others down with him, and you−”

“Shut up.” Clover stood up from his seat, furious. _How dare you say such things!?_ “Qrow is a wonderful man. He’s chosen to be a good man despite the world telling him otherwise. Despite believing that the world hates him, he still goes on. He’s helped countless people. He helped Ruby and Yang grow into wonderful women. He was there for the people you should have cared about when you weren’t. Qrow is an incredible and strong man. I won’t let him put himself down, and I’m certainly not going to let you either.”

“Hmph.” was all she said. “You're right. He is a good man, so he deserves someone good too. You’ll do fine. I just wanted to make sure.” 

“Oh. I see.” He said as he sat back down. _Well, I guess that's one way to find out._

“I don’t doubt you love him, and I don't doubt he loves you, but know this,” she said as she leaned in a little “ if you ever purposely hurt him, you will have to deal with more than just me.” Clover did not doubt that. The man practically had an entire army that loved and cared for him. 

“If it ever comes to that, chances are, I deserve it.”

“I doubt it will, but if it does, don’t take it personally. He _is_ my little brother after all.” She was obviously hiding the fact that she did care about him still, but he wasn’t going to bring that up.

“I understand.” His mind thought back to his dad’s sisters and the tournament. As endearing as the story was, he can't say he particularly envied his papa getting beat up.

“Well, you should be on your way. We’ve both got better things to do, and give this to Qrow.” She handed him a small box. “It’s something of his he left here a long time ago.” 

“Alright.” He replied, curious as to what was in it. “I’ll be sure to give it to him.” As she slipped through a portal, he made his way back to the living space he shared with Qrow. On the way there, he was thinking about what he said. _I won’t let him put himself down._ Qrow was going through a rough patch, likely blaming himself a lot more than he ever should, and Clover felt that he was letting Qrow do that again. He decided that whether Qrow liked it or not, they were going to have a serious conversation, and he was gonna remind Qrow of how much he loved him, and how much of a great man he was.

By the time Clover returned to their shared living space, Qrow had already showered and was already lying down in bed. Clover guesses that their talk with Raven left him feeling drained. He certainly felt drained as well, though he imagined it wasn’t as much as Qrow. _Maybe I should talk to him tomorrow. … No, I should do it today. He needs to know how good he is, no matter how tired he might be._ Clover walked next to him to rouse him from his rest. 

One night, Qrow had a terrible nightmare, and he couldn't bring himself to talk about it, despite Clover asking. Clover knew it was about him dying. 

He dreamt about it too. Qrow had woken him up from it. He remembers making sure he was alive and with Qrow. It wasn’t so much the dying that got to him, it was leaving Qrow to suffer in life that got to him. _Death is inevitable, so there’s no need to fear it, but you must still respect it,_ his papa would tell him, as morbid as it was. _Once you no longer fear death, you can truly begin to live and grow to love life. But you must fear life. Life doesn’t let you love it because you’re alive or because you love it. It will throw so many things at you that can make you hate it. That’s why you gotta take life by the horns and make it into a life that loves you. It’s not easy, life will fight back constantly to make you hate it, but its very possible, but even then, you don’t always need life to love you. There are people who can do that, even if that person is yourself._

Clover was lucky. He always loved life, and life loved him, but he guesses he had run out of luck that time. He always accepted those words, but never really understood them as well as he did now. And of course, lucky him, there was someone who loved him when life didn't: Qrow. Clover was going to return the favor, as many times as he needed. He placed the box aside and jostled Qrow’s shoulder, calling his name to gently rouse him.

-

Qrow opened his eyes to see Clover in front of him, unsurprisingly. His face was always a nice one to see, with his soft eyes and an ever present smile, but the tip of a certain scar on his chest was showing. It was a terrible reminder to him, and one that he would never be able to forget. He’ll admit, Clover would too, they both fucked up bad. They had both apologized to each other as soon as they had the chance, but the guilt still persisted. _He only stays with you because he pities you. Why else would a man like him stay with someone like you?_ In the past, he would have believed that about himself, but Clover had managed to help chip away at that nagging voice. Qrow was a different man now, stronger. Not strong enough to ignore those thoughts entirely, but still stronger, and he would continue to grow stronger little by little. _He’s with me because he likes me for who I am. I’m not all bad._

“Hey there shamrock.” Qrow said as he moved to sit upwards on the bed. He could tell that Clover had something to say. Good, bad, or neither, he couldn’t tell. “What’s the matter?” he asked, somewhat concerned. 

“Nothing. Just, could you stand up real quick?”

“Sure?” he responded. _What are you planning lucky charm?_ Qrow found out soon enough as Clover pulled him in for a tight embrace. It had caught Qrow a bit off guard, but he reciprocated soon enough, and rested his chin on Clover’s shoulder. Somehow, Clover could always manage to make him feel at least a little better. Well, maybe a lot. “What’s the occasion love bird?” 

“I love you.”

“I love you too Cloves.” Qrow replied softly. He was surprised when Clover broke away from the hug to hold him at an arm's length, looking him in his eyes. 

“You’re an amazing person Qrow, the most wonderful person I’ve ever had the honor of meeting. You’re kind, smart, funny, caring, and so much more. You deserve so many good things. I just want you to know that.” Qrow pulled him back in for a hug that was tighter than the previous.

“Thanks. I needed that.”

-

During their time together, they had noticed that good and bad luck followed them both, even when on rare occasions they were seperated for a mission, or some other duty. They also had noticed how their aura levels mirrored each other. It was chalked up to coincidence at first. They were unsure if it was good luck or bad luck at play. However, they soon reached the conclusion that they shared aura, which meant that they shared semblances as well. It made sense, considering what Raven, who was visiting frequently to try to make amends slowly but surely, told them. The fact that their one of their eyes, the windows to the soul, had swapped colors with each other. 

The day they realized that, Clover had noticed that Qrow was acting a bit distant, though he could tell why instantly. Qrow lived his whole life being a bringer of bad luck, and had judged his existence for most of his life based on that notion. And suddenly, that had changed. He was now a bird that brought both good and bad luck. He didn’t exactly know how to handle that. 

“What’s on your mind Qrow? I can see all the little gears in your head spinning.” Clover asked that day. He just got done showering and had caught Qrow laying down on the couch and staring at the ceiling. He could see that his words snapped Qrow out of his trance.

“Noth−” he paused as he decided to change his reply. “An identity crisis.” 

“Is it about our semblances?”

“Mmhm” he hummed as he moved to sit up.

“Wanna talk about it?” Clover asked as he went to sit next to him. Qrow rested his head on his love’s shoulder.

“Tell me,” Qrow asked, “how are you handling it lucky charm?” Clover gave a light chuckle. The nickname seemed a bit odd now, but he would rather that Qrow still called him it. It was endearing. 

“To tell you the truth, I’m relieved.” Qrow lifted his head in surprise and looked directly at Clover. Clover could see that the man wanted a deeper explanation. “I told you before, but I’ve had a lot of my success chalked up to my good luck. Yeah, I learned to ignore those comments, but what I didn't tell you is that they still always get under my skin a little. And now? They can’t blame all my success on being lucky and I’ve got one less thing to worry about. Besides, it also means I’ll have a part of you in me.”

“Oh, I’m sure that you like having a part of me in you ” Qrow joked.

“Very much so.” He replied. They both stared at each other for a moment and laughed. Clover always did like to hear Qrow’s laugh. It was a good thing he was good at making jokes then. They both sunk into the couch, Clover resting his head on Qrow’s shoulder this time. “But in all seriousness, how do you feel about this?” He could see that Qrow was thinking again.

“I’m− I wasn’t sure what _to_ think about it. All my life, I’ve been a beacon of bad luck, and now I’m not really that anymore. Everything bad was always my fault,” his mind instantly thinks to Clover lying dead in the snow, soaked in blood, “and I believed it. Even now, I still kind of do. And yes, I know I shouldn’t blame myself, its just… a hard habit to break But, after hearing you, I think I know what to think now. New semblance, new me, so don’t worry. I’ll make sure to tell myself that everything bad that happens isn’t my fault, ‘cause I’ve some lucky charm inside me too.” They both laughed at the horrible joke. Qrow had to admit, it was the dumb, little moments like these that made life really worth living.

“Say,” Clover said as Qrow’s laugh died down, “how exactly do you think our semblance works now?”

“Funny that you mention that. That was one of the things I was thinking about.”

“I thought you were having an identity crisis?”

“Geez, can’t a man have an identity crisis and think about how his semblance works at the same time?” They both gave a slight chuckle. 

“Enlighten me o’ majestic Qrow.”

“I was thinking that our semblances increase the chances of good and bad outcomes by a percentage. That percentage is taken from neutral outcomes, so for example, if the percentage for the three outcomes is about thirty-three percent each, then−”

“Oh gods Qrow, I’m sorry, but can’t handle math, especially this late when I’m this tired.” The man could already feel his head spin. Math certainly made Clover’s life a hell but at least it never cared about his semblance, to his dismay at times. 

“Says the man who came out of the shower wearing a pair of short shorts that say ‘If you’re reading this, you're getting lucky tonight’ and a tight tank top.”

“ _Hey._ ” Clover said as he blushed and pouted. He did nothing to deserve to be so viciously called out. The pout was soon dispelled by a kiss on the lips. 

“Welp, I’m gonna shower. I’ll hit the hay with you after Cloves.”

“Alright, and hurry up! You don’t want to keep me waiting, do you?” He certainly didn’t spread his legs in an attempt to convince the man. It was merely to get comfortable on the couch. Internally, Qrow cursed the man and his hot voice and thick thighs. Externally, he held the poker face that he gained from years of experience. 

“Hmm,” he hummed as he looked the man up and down as he pretended to be thinking of an answer, “I think you might have lucked out lucky charm.” As Qrow walked towards the shower, he laughed, and also wondered if it was meant to be a good “lucked out,” or a bad “lucked out.” They both had a long day, especially Qrow. Regardless, Clover would consider it a lucky night ‘cause he would have his boyfriend curled up against him. Any night with Qrow was always a night well spent. Besides, they had to enjoy the privacy while they still had it. With Vacuo and chaperoning eight kids on the horizon, he and the gods knew privacy would be a rarity, but just being with Qrow would always be enough. And at least they were good kids too. Wild, but certainly good. He wanted to get to know them better anyways too. The way to a man’s heart is through his kids. Briefly, he wondered if they would begin to call him uncle Clover at some point. He thinks he would cry if they did. The future was full of so many beautiful possibilities. 

-

Many years after their first meeting, after settling down after Salem’s defeat, after a familial spar for Qrow’s hand that Clover won, after having their wedding, after having adopted two kids, they lived a content life. 

Many times, Qrow had walked in Clover rocking the baby boy to sleep as his older sister already lay asleep. It always warmed Qrow’s heart. Sometimes, it would seem like a dream to him, to believe that he actually sobered up, settled down with someone, and started a family. He loved someone, and loved himself. And yet, there it was. What was once a dream that died had resurrected with a vengeance to make sure that Qrow would get the life he wanted, the life he deserved.

Many times, Clover would walk in on Qrow playing with their daughter, who was about five years older than her brother. They played so many different games, from tea, to grimm slaying, to reliving a kid-friendly version of his past exploits across Remnant. It was always a party whenever one of the kids showed up to visit their uncle Clover and Uncle Qrow and their children. Tai would stop by frequently, since he lived relatively close, and would gladly babysit when Clover and Qrow would go out for a date. Once in a great while, Raven would show up, always bearing a gift and an embarrassing story about Qrow to tell. To have a family, and to be actually close to people once again had seemed so unlikely ever since his parents died when he was a young adult. Now, he was no longer lonely, and he was surrounded by people he loved, and by people who loved him. 

Many times, Qrow and Clover looked back on their past together. It was full of so much strife and struggle, even if they didn’t realize it. It was also filled with so much joy and hope, even if they didn’t realize it. But no matter what, they always looked at their present, and saw how beautiful the product of their sad pasts was. They were both happier than they ever could have imagined. They were no longer lonely, miserable, or without their complement. They had lived their lives in an exhausted state, flying from one problem to the next for so long. And now that they had a more peaceful world, family, love, and each other, they were free to finally let their wings rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, this concludes Exhausted Wings, my first major multi-chapter fic, love-child of my gay thoughts and obsession with DrakeNieR. "Hmm, you know what sounds good?" I thought to myself one day. "How about I take a concept from a 2003 game, whose existence baffles me yet has somehow managed to influenced me so much, and use it to make a gay fix-it oneshot with an open ending?" And then It turned into 18k and 4 chapters. I love getting gay thoughts so I have a gay reason to get my gay hands on gay everything. I just wanted to see these gays be gay and gay. Once again, sorry it took a (bit) long, but I'm sure you understand. I'm grateful for all the kudos and comments you all left, and am honored that you all liked this chaotic thing. So, I thank you, and I hope you enjoyed reading!


End file.
